A seven-month pregnant woman got the shock of her life recently after she nearly consumed a cockroach found in her Chinese cuisine lunch she purchased from a popular restaurant in her community, THE STAR has learnt.

Information reaching THE STAR is that the woman, 28-year-old Tanisha Baxter, a hairdresser by profession, purchased curried goat and white rice from a Chinese restaurant in rural St Andrew and found the insect in her meal.

Baxter told THE STAR that a friend had eaten some of the meal and passed the remainder to her, and after she mixed the gravy with the rice, to her surprise, the roach was exposed.

She said, "Di rice did fresh so after mi mix up the gravy, mi spot di roach and mi start vomit immediately. When mi calm down, mi go back to the restaurant and di chef a go tell mi dat him can't give me back all the money because half the food eat out and the owner was not there."

half the money

Our news team was later told that after a minor quarrel, the full sum was returned to Baxter.

A friend of Baxter told THE STAR, "Dem disgusting - after she go back to dem they are going to tell her dat is only half the money she can get back because she eat out half of the food already."

She continued, "Dem can't see back my money. If a did fried rice she buy she would a probably eat di roach because she may think it was di egg or something. Mi say di roach not even cook with the food because his limbs are still intact and him full-bodied."

THE STAR was also told that Baxter, in the company of her friend, went back to the restaurant to speak with the owner after being advised that she would return at 5 p.m.

female owner

Our news team understands that the owner, on seeing Baxter, went inside the establishment and refused to come out and see her, after which Baxter threatened aloud to expose the issue.

When our news team contacted the restaurant, the female owner confirmed that a cockroach was found in the meal. However THE STAR was referred to the chef for her lack of understanding of the English language.

The chef said, "We gave her back her money in full ... She was cursing and saying she gonna report us ... We apologised to her and we will be doing our assessment and spray the place ... We do that every three months ... we are going to ensure it doesn't happen again."

When asked why did the owner refuse to speak with her on her return, he said, "I gave her back her money and she was being mischievous ... She came back in the night and cuss and talk all sort of things in front of the customers and we apologised already."

Baxter said she would be making a report to the authorities because, "Dem nuh bizniz ... dem still a sell dem rice and roach same way!"

When THE STAR contacted the Health Department, a representative told us that in matters like these a complaint must first be made, and then an investigator will be dispatched to investigate.

THE STAR asked how often do they get complaints similar to this, and we were told that a figure could not be ascertained.